KOCHI: "Parents and teachers have key roles in improving the mental health of children and the mental health habits should begin at home," said District Collector Mohammed Y Safirulla, here, on Wednesday. He was speaking after inaugurating the World Mental Health Day observance at the General Hospital here.
The event was organised under the joint auspices of the Health Department, Indian Medical Association Kochi branch, General Hospital, Ernakulam, and the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP). District medical officer Dr N K Kuttappan presided over the meeting. “A healthy atmosphere at home, workplace, school and anywhere we are in can help us maintain good mental health,” he said. Dr Pyari Joseph, nodal officer, DMHP, led an awareness class on this year’s world mental health day message ‘Young people and mental health in a changing world’.
Volunteers who helped DMHP for giving first aid to those mentally affected by the floods were honoured on the occasion. Winners of the quiz and poster designing competitions conducted as part of Mental Health Day were given prizes. Various awareness programmes were conducted by nursing students to mark the event.